Fall is time to start volunteering

By LINDA MILNER SHIPP Runningwater Draw RSVP

Published 7:00 am, Sunday, October 10, 2010

Fall is a great time to "turn over a new leaf" and share our time making a difference for others. Many volunteer needs exist in our communities, and one of those will fit your interests and the time you can donate.

One of the volunteer opportunities currently available is at Santa Fe House in Plainview. They are in need of volunteers to play games with the residents, and they also need someone to play bridge with three residents.

This opportunity offers an afternoon of fun and laughs while getting to know the residents at Santa Fe House. Time commitment is approximately two hours one day a week.

Would you like to give time helping children? CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) needs your help. You will be advocating for children in foster care and giving them a voice that they can count on. You will be ensuring the children are not lost in the legal system and letting the children know there is a community around them that cares. Training is required, and the time commitment is 5-15 hours a month.

"My Dad Reads to Me" is a program designed to make a difference for the children of incarcerated parents. Volunteers record carefully-selected offenders as they read books to their children. The books, provided by Hale County Literacy Council, are mailed along with the recording to the children.

Literacy is improved for the dad and the children, and family ties are strengthened through this program. Volunteers must complete training. Time commitment is two hours every other month.

Is the library the place for you? The Hi-Plains Genealogical Society at Unger Memorial Library could use your help. An amazing collection of books and periodicals in the genealogy section is just waiting to be accessed. Volunteers can help guide the way to finding information and filling in the blanks of family trees. Other opportunities include putting updated labels on the books in the genealogy section.

The Texas Senior Medicare Patrol educates Medicare beneficiaries about Medicare/Medicaid fraud, waste and abuse. Volunteers are needed to help get this important information out to seniors. We have brochures and a great 10-minute video for volunteers to share with others.

Call the RSVP office at 291-1895 if any of these opportunities are for you. We have many others to choose from and hope you will let us help you find the volunteer opportunity that is just right for you.

(Linda Milner Shipp is director of Runningwater Draw RSVP. Contact her at 291-1895 or go by 2503 W. Eighth.)